20 March 1943

20 March 1943 Channel Islands Sea Defence diary

No special occurrences. Construction report follows.

Naval Artillery Battalion 604 — Batterie Mirus: all Organisation Todt workers had resumed work, but a shortage of cement prevented pouring. Work on the cable shaft at No. 1 gun was complete except for replacing the earth. Sealing work on the cable shafts at Nos. 2, 3 and 4 guns continued. Numerous labour columns worked on the embankments at Nos. 2 and 3 guns. Construction by battery personnel of Tobruk positions, 7.5-cm gun positions and roads was stopped after the battery's lorries were withdrawn and necessary materials could no longer be brought in.

Batterie Strasbourg: Organisation Todt was again working at full strength. Shuttering had been removed from the new fire-control post and the internal fitting-out continued.

Batterie Steinbruch: the crew bunker at No. 2 gun was one-third shuttered and work progressed rapidly. Pouring of the machinery house began. Excavation for the bunker structures continued.

Naval Artillery Battalion 605 — Battery Annes, Organisation Todt work: internal work and drainage continued at the fire-control post; the excavation was partly filled, the emergency exit poured and the bunker roof tarred. Installation of the ammunition hoists in turret 3 continued. Internal work continued in accommodation bunker 2. Reinforcement and shuttering continued at accommodation bunker 4 and materials were brought in for pouring. General work comprised levelling the battery ground, clearing fields of fire, laying the underground cable to the fire-control post and excavating the cable trench from the fire-control post to the Fu.M.G. radar position.

Work by Battery Annes personnel was unchanged from the preceding week.

T-1022 Roll 2422, PG 37997, scans 0612–0613.